A review of how social housing is allocated is being liked to "re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic."
Renters on the HAP scheme are to be prioritised for social housing ahead of homeless families.
At the moment, families in emergency accommodation are reluctant to accept a home in the private sector using the Housing Assistance Payment.
They're holding out in the hope of a permanent local authority home which offers more security.
The city council is now moving to instead prioritise people on HAP in the private sector who are already on the waiting list.
This should free up their tenancies for families stuck in hotels and B&Bs and they won't lose their place in the queue for a permanent local authority home.
Head of housing Brendan Kenny says the families already being prioritised won't be affected
"We'll probably do 50:50 in the short term until all those families that currently have priority in emergency accommodation are sorted out"
Mr Kenny says same number of social housing homes allocated in 2017 will stand this year (around 316 tenancies).
Chair of the Housing Committee, Councillor Daithi Doolan, says a range of supports will be offered to these families. They'll be able to accept a private lease without having to come off the social housing waiting list and "carry their time with them."
But he warns it's all academic if the housing stock just isn't there.
"If we don't get building on our land as a matter of urgency, these people will languish on housing lists."
